princely
/'prinsli/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having the rank, status, or qualities befitting a prince: Relating to or characteristic of a prince in terms of nobility, dignity, or authority.
- Magnificent, splendid, or lavish: Characterized by great richness, grandeur, or sumptuousness.
- Very large or generous (especially of a sum of money): Used to describe an amount that is impressively substantial or generous.
Usage and Examples
- Adjective (befitting a prince):
- He greeted his guests with a princely courtesy.
- The ambassador was received with princely honors.
- Adjective (magnificent or lavish):
- They stayed in a suite of princely apartments.
- The feast was a princely affair.
- Adjective (large sum of money):
- The charity received a princely donation.
- He was paid a princely sum for his consultancy work.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- "Princely state": (Historical) A sovereign state in the Indian subcontinent ruled by a native prince under British colonial influence.
- The Maharaja ruled over a large princely state.
- Used to emphasize impressive scale or quality, sometimes with a hint of irony when referring to money.
- After all that work, he was offered the princely reward of ten dollars.
Variants and Related Words
- Prince (n): A male member of a royal family, especially a son of the king or queen.
- Princeliness (n): The quality of being princely; nobility or magnificence.
- Princelike (adj): Resembling or characteristic of a prince. (Less common variant)
Synonyms
- Regal: Of, resembling, or fit for a monarch, especially in being magnificent or dignified.
- Lavish: Sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious.
- Munificent: Larger or more generous than is usual or necessary (especially of a gift or sum of money).
- Magnificent: Extremely beautiful, elaborate, or impressive.
Antonyms
- Paltry: Small or meager.
- Miserly: Of or characteristic of a miser; meanly stingy.
- Humble: Having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance; not grand or luxurious.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- A princely sum: An idiom specifically referring to a very large amount of money.
- The vintage car was sold for a princely sum at auction.
- Live in princely style: To live in a very luxurious and grand manner.
- The retired magnate continued to live in princely style.
Adjective
- having the rank of or befitting a prince
- a princely bearing
- princely manner
- rich and superior in quality
- a princely sum
- gilded dining rooms